Welcome to the How They Did It series, where we spotlight one individual and their body transformation. Learn what they did, and how they did it to succeed at their weight loss journey. Today we are featuring Daniette Wood.

Tell Us a Little About Yourself

Hello, my names Daniette Wood, though they call me Blue. I have a near obsessive love for the color. I am a freelance artist and graphic designer with a very busy life schedule. I’m married with no children but a long arduous work schedule.

What Made You Decide to Get Fit and Healthy?

The day I decided to get fit and healthy was the day I stepped on the scale and found that over a long weekend of holiday partying, I found I had slipped past the 190’s and straight into the 200’s. The shock of being over 200 pounds scared the heck out of me. I didn’t ever want to be that heavy. I decided it was just plain time to stop that.

What is Your Nutrition Philosophy?

My nutrition philosophy is something Bob Harper (famous trainer from The Biggest Loser) preaches. Eat healthy 90% of the time, and don’t beat yourself the other 10%.

What is Your Exercise Philosophy?

The exercise philosophy I try to follow is to try. Just try. It doesn’t have to be hard gym workouts that have you in pain for days. Take the bike out on a nice day, go for a walk in the evening. Park at the back of the parking lock and walk into the store. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Go to the pool on a hot day, or run the beach line with your bare feet. Take some zumba classes or just go dancing.

What Was the Most Important Thing You Learned During Your Transformation?

The most important thing I learned is that you’re GOING to mess up. There isn’t a soul out there who hasn’t. You would have to be a super human to not, and I know I’m not for sure. I’ve messed up plenty of times. It isn’t that you messed up that matters. It’s that you get right back on the wagon and keep going. If you quit after the first mistake, you’re doomed to failure. Weight loss and health is a marathon, not a sprint. It takes time patience, and self forgiveness. Forget about your past, today is now.

What Mistake(s) Should People Avoid When Trying to Lose Weight?

Some of the biggest mistakes people should avoid while dieting are mistakes I’ve personally made at the beginning of my transformation, and learned over the months not to do. These mistakes include under eating, goals set to high, falling off the plan, and calling it a diet when it should be a lifestyle change. True fact, eating too little can damage your ability to lose weight. Not only does it make you ravenously hungry and prone to binging, but it slows your metabolism into what is called ‘starvation mode’ where instead of losing the weight it doesn’t need, it clings to every last cell it can. People who eat too little plateau quickly. It’s why a lot of trainers preach ‘eat to lose’. Feed the body with the right kind of foods, watch your calorie intake, but never ever starve.

Another mistake I’ve made was setting goals too high. This is a fast way to burn yourself out and bum yourself out. It’s unrealistic to think you can lose 5 pounds in a week. Try a month! A goal set too high only serves to disappoint you and wear you down. Don’t do that.

Lastly. Weight loss isn’t about dieting. It’s about a lifestyle change. A diet implies that once you’ve reached your goal weight, you’ll go back to what you were doing. A good way to ruin all your hard work. Losing weight and keeping it off requires a lifestyle change.

What Advice Do You Have For Others?

My advice is to try, try, and try again. If you mess up, get up, wipe off your pants and try again. Accept that you’re going to give into temptation, and move on. It happens. It happens to us all. Watch motivational shows like The Biggest Loser and Extreme Make Over: Weight Loss Edition. Seeing other people accomplishing such a hard goal will give you the motivation to continue to chomp on that salad you’re so very tired of. Work out with a friend, and even diet with a friend. The support system will be great. While you’re at it, sign up for fitness sights like myfitnesspal to track your calories, and follow Coach Calorie on Facebook. Involve yourself with the health and wellness network.

I love what said said about “trying.” You’re never going to know what kind of exercise you like until you try it. I love Spin Classes, Zumba, Turbo Fire, Kickboxing and the Elliptical. I became addicted to Zumba immediately. It’s so much fun and energizing. After class, I feel great! Alls I can say is Way To GO!!! I’m on the same journey as she is. It’s not easy but I’m not giving up. I started at 213 and I’m at 189 as of yesterday. I’m so proud of what I’ve accomplished so far. And it feels great!

I agree with you, it’s not a diet, it’s a lifestyle change. You can’t “come off the diet” and then complain that you gained the weight back, but that’s what people do all the time. Messing up, yeah, I do it but also factor it in to my next work out so I don’t have to beat myself up. You have achieved wonderful results and look amazing. Enjoying the process, loving the changes – these things keep us going. When you can buy clothes from “normal” stores and notice how good you look, it spurs you on. Keep up the great work, you already look fantastic!